Sernova Receives Patent Allowance for Cell Pouch(TM) and Therapeutic Cell Transplantation Technologies

LONDON, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - May 14, 2014) - Sernova Corp. (TSX VENTURE:SVA), today announced that the Australian Patent Office has issued a Notice of Acceptance to Sernova for its patent application entitled "Methods and Devices for Cellular Transplantation."

This patent covers Sernova's entire Cell Pouch™ system of therapeutic cells, the Cell Pouch™ and its surgical tools for cell transplantation. The allowance of this patent will provide Sernova with patent protection through 2030. Similar patent applications have been filed in multiple countries around the world and have a higher likelihood of being granted now that the Australian one has been allowed.

"With this patent allowance, Sernova is now advancing to secure exclusive patent rights globally of our core technologies," stated Dr. Philip Toleikis, Sernova's President and CEO. "This patent allowance is timely as intellectual property is a key element in attracting partners, which is the focus of our new world-class business development team."

"The transition of intellectual property from a patent application to an allowed patent is a key component in strengthening the valuation of a technology", said Kevin Egan, Chair of Sernova's Business Advisory Board. "The fact that Sernova has achieved this for its platform technologies significantly increases its value and potential to partner with a major pharmaceutical or medical device company."

When transplanted into Sernova's Cell Pouch™, a safe, protected and efficacious environment is provided for therapeutic cells such as insulin-producing islets for the treatment of diabetes, as demonstrated in multiple preclinical studies.

In human patients with diabetes, the Cell Pouch™, transplanted with insulin producing islets, in interim analyses, has been shown to be biocompatible and safe as the primary objective of a clinical study at the University of Alberta with Dr. James Shapiro as principal investigator.

Sernova is exploring the additional utility of the Cell Pouch™ an enabling platform for a range of diseases such as haemophilia with Medicyte Gmbh and to maintain calcium homeostasis in kidney disease through parathyroid gland transplantation.

About Sernova

Sernova Corp is a clinical stage regenerative medicine company developing medical technologies for the treatment of chronic debilitating metabolic diseases such as diabetes, blood disorders including haemophilia and other diseases treated through replacement of proteins or hormones missing or in short supply within the body. Sernova is developing the Cell Pouch™, an implantable medical device for therapeutic cells (donor, xenogeneic or stem cells) which then release proteins and/or hormones as required. The therapeutic cells are protected from immune attack by Sernova's proprietary local immune protection technology.

Forward Looking Information

This release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Sernova believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of Sernova's management on the date such statements were made. Sernova expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.